"Instead, the push continues for more casino-style gambling as a Band-Aid for an industry in crisis, and that will force horses further to the margins, although at Santa Anita, still happily free of the slots, the fans can get a taste of the sport as it was meant to be. There's no better spot than Clocker's Corner on a bright winter morning, with a dusting of snow on the San Gabriels and the horses on the gallop."

NYT turf writer Joe Drape suggests drug-free Kempton Kentucky Derby Challenge winner Mafaaz might be the horse to shame the American racing industry into banning race-day medications and improving horse safety. Published under the "Analysis" rubric, but more properly considered opinion for its agenda-driven conclusions ("Nothing has changed"), shaky connections (that slippery "It" at the start of paragraph seven, the correlation of racing's popularity in Europe and Asia to medication policies with no mention of cultural and structural factors), and lack of balance.

Or, as NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop put it: "Joe Drape's commentary on the current state of safety and integrity reforms ... contained errors and exaggerations and ignored irrefutable facts that did not support his premise." [Note the defensive tone that creeps into the accompanying Letter to the Editor. For the flaws in Drape's piece, he is correct more change must come to industry. I suspect Waldrop knows that too, even as he rightly defends what has been accomplished.]

Bill Finley, following up on Drape's story, writes trainer John Gosden is spot-on that healthy horses should be able race without drugs, but that he's also not above taking the medical edge. "Gosden seems to be as big a fan of drugs as any American trainer. According to Bloodstock Research Information Systems records, Gosden has started seven different horses in North America since 2007 and all seven ran on one legal drug or another." If Mafaaz runs in the US, it'll probably be on race-day meds.

Mario and Mr. Vain and a very good year ...

Photos from the Breeders' Cup and Czech Grand National as well as more general interest horse photos.

Photos from Belmont, Saratoga, Suffolk (by Bud)

Photos of throroughbreds and races

Photos from Aqueduct, Belmont, New York racing scene